Commission tables parking ban for Siesta streets

In April, Siesta Key residents Walter Hammerling and Mary Pellettieri asked the county to ban parking on their streets, located on the outskirts of Siesta Key Village. After nearly 10 months of waiting, they will have to wait a little longer for an answer.

Their main concern is navigability in season — especially for emergency vehicles. Pellettieri, who lives on Avenida Milano, said space on that street was so tight one day that a garbage truck was unable to make it to the end.

Both Avenida Milano and Avenida Madera are located a block east of Ocean Boulevard near its intersection with Avenida Messina and Canal Road, making them an easy target when parking flows over from the municipal parking lot. The lot is located at the corner of Avenida Madera and Calle Minorga, behind Siesta Key Hardware and Beach Club.

“Parking in the Village is problematic at best,” said Commissioner Alan Maio at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.

Maio and Commissioner Christine Robinson expressed concern that county staff had only advertised the item on the county agenda one week before Tuesday’s meeting with a sign at the end of each street, and had not contacted any Siesta Key associations or outlying neighbors.

Robinson was also concerned with the difference between the residents’ comments, which expressed a pressing worry about emergency vehicles being able to navigate crowded streets, and the staff reports, which said the problem was less worrisome. County staff showed pictures of the streets on which only one or two cars were parked on the side. Pellettieri had submitted a photo in April that showed a whole line of cars.

“Do we need the fire department to review? If not that, then it’s an annoyance issue, which is murkier,” Robinson said. “That makes the decision real easy for us — it’s a safety issue.”

Isaac Brownman, Sarasota County’s public works director, said the issue could happen on any 22-foot roadway and the safety aspect could depend on how cars parked on the street and how much space they took up.

“Without prohibiting parking on every road in the county, we have to look at these case by case as they come up in areas where they may have more parking on the street,” Brownman said.

After hearing both staff reports and residents’ concerns, Sarasota County commissioners decided to table a vote until the fire department could review the situation. They also directed staff to seek input from the Key’s associations.

Michael Shay, president of Siesta Key Association, told the Sarasota Observer Wednesday the issue is similar to the parking problem that arose in March 2013 on Avenida de Mayo. In that instance, residents complained about parking on that street, and after the fire department reviewed the case, it determined it was not safe for cars to line the street in season. The county then prohibited parking on the street 24 hours a day.

“Based on what occurred at de Mayo, I want to see what the fire chief says,” Shay said. “That was the game changer for Avenida de Mayo.”

Eileen Parkinson, a resident of Avenida Milano who spoke at the meeting, urged the county to approve the prohibition.

“There aren’t just automobiles, there are huge pickup trucks,” Parkinson said.

Shay said Siesta definitely has a parking problem, but safety should remain paramount. He said: “If a resident can’t navigate their street because people are parking there, that’s a hazard.”